Sheila/Barbara: After being
tossed off my mustang, Hermano, at least 10 times, I can't imagine riding him
or any other horse without a helmet.
My latest unscheduled
dismount was several weeks ago during the Western States Trail Foundation's
"Education Ride" on the Tevis trail. Hermano and I had negotiated the
California Street
trail in good order, having gone about half the 30-mile ride when we were
crossing a boulder strewn dried stream bed leading into the AmericanRiver.
All I can remember is that while we were picking our way through the large
boulders, he made one of his patented lighting-fast sidesteps and then
darkness. The next thing I remember were the two ladies following us standing
over me loosening my protective vest (yes, because I'm not a very good rider
yet, I also wear an "eventing" vest). They said I was out for about
two minutes. I surmise that Hemano had wedged one of his hoof boots between two
boulders and that freaked him out. But I will never know for certain. This
was the first time in my life I was knocked unconscious.
My helmet was fractured and
I had a bruise on my skull where my helmet hit one of the boulders. I know
without the helmet I would have cracked my skull and quite possibly would have
been killed or seriously injured.
As it was, I had a massive headache and a badly
bruised back near my spine (thank God for the vest and the water
"camel" I wear on my back.) Before taking up horse-back riding, I was
hang gliding about every weekend for about 10 years. I can tell you that I
have been more often and more seriously injured (twice with broken ribs) in the
two years I've been riding my horse than I was ever injured in the decade of
jumping off cliffs and landing in strange obstacle-strewn fields. In my view,
you've got to be crazy to ride a horse without a helmet.
